Key points
- You can ask for a lawyer in Melbourne today. Call 1800 577 015 at any hour: the free line gives general legal information straight away, and a 60-minute consultation with a lawyer who practises in Victoria is a fixed $295, by phone, video or in person. Urgent requests are taken at any hour; how soon the lawyer can see you depends on who is free, so a particular time cannot be promised.
- What lawyers cost in Melbourne: firms that publish their prices list family law rates of $350 to $500 an hour, and fixed fees for a Magistrates' Court guilty plea from $1,800 including GST (a price list last updated in 2023) to a range of $2,200 to $3,750 (read on the firms' own websites, 22 October 2026). Our consultation is $295 for 60 minutes, and the lawyer tells you what any further work would cost before you commit.
- Free legal help in Melbourne: Victoria Legal Aid on 1300 792 387, 8am to 6pm Monday to Friday; a Victoria Legal Aid duty lawyer at the Magistrates' Court on the day (free, but not everyone is eligible; ring first if you can); and Youthlaw for under-25s on (03) 9113 9500, 9am to 4:30pm on weekdays.
- Due in court? Every Melbourne court, with its address, phone number and hours, is listed below, checked on 22 October 2026. Werribee Magistrates' Court closed for good on 31 October 2025; Wyndham Law Courts at 17 Basalt Road, Werribee replaced it. The Magistrates' Court's own website was unavailable on 22 October 2026, so check its details before you go.
- In danger now: call 000. Family violence: Safe Steps on 1800 015 188 and 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732, both free and 24 hours.
Go To Court Lawyers arranges 60-minute consultations with Victorian lawyers for a fixed $295, by phone, video or in person, with requests taken at any hour on 1800 577 015, and its free legal information line answers 24 hours a day.
Melbourne Practice Areas
Our Melbourne lawyers cover all major areas of law. Select your area for local information, court details and immediate help.
Lawyers in Melbourne
Go To Court Lawyers is a national legal service, running since 2010, that connects people with lawyers who practise in their state. In Melbourne and across Victoria that means lawyers who practise in Victoria and appear in the courts listed below. Call 1800 577 015 at any hour and Jen, our AI legal information assistant, gives general legal information about your situation and takes your details. Jen is not a lawyer and does not give legal advice about your case. If you want advice, request a consultation on the call or at the booking page: your request goes to lawyers in our network who practise in your area of law and location, the first to accept it contacts you to set a time, and our team steps in if nobody does. The consultation is 60 minutes for a fixed $295, by phone, by video, or in person where the lawyer you are matched with offers it. In the twelve months to October 2026, people in Victoria came to us most often about family law (373 matters), criminal charges (324), civil disputes (255), traffic offences (193), domestic violence (127), property (87), employment (87), wills and estates (63), compensation (59) and drink driving (57).Local Courts in Melbourne
Checked against the County Court, Supreme Court, Children's Court, Federal Circuit and Family Court and VCAT websites and Court Services Victoria on 22 October 2026. The Magistrates' Court's website was unavailable that day, so its details come from the court's own pages as last saved (March to June 2026), checked against Court Services Victoria and Victoria Legal Aid; check them before you go. Where your matter is heard depends on the charge or the amount in dispute; the court named on your paperwork is the one to go to.
| Court | What it hears | Address | Phone | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Melbourne Magistrates' Court | All summary offences, some indictable offences and committal hearings; most traffic charges; intervention orders; and civil claims up to $100,000 | 233 William Street, Melbourne | (03) 9087 6111 | 8:30am to 4:30pm, Monday to Friday. The Bail and Remand Court sits 8:30am to 9pm, seven days a week |
| County Court of Victoria | Most serious criminal charges (except treason, murder and related offences), appeals from the Magistrates' and Children's Courts, and civil claims of any amount | Registry counter: ground floor, 250 William Street, Melbourne | (03) 8636 6888 | Registry 9am to 4pm; phones 8:45am to 5pm; Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays |
| Supreme Court of Victoria | Murder, attempted murder, treason and other major criminal cases, civil cases of any amount, probate, and (in the Court of Appeal) appeals | Main entrance 210 William Street; registry counter 450 Little Bourke Street; Court of Appeal entrance 455 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne | (03) 8600 2000; Court of Appeal (03) 8600 2001; Probate Office (03) 8600 2006 | Enquiries 9am to 4:30pm on business days; registry counter 9:30am to 4pm (appointments recommended) |
| Melbourne Children's Court | Charges against young people who were 10 to 17 at the time of the offence (except offences resulting in death and attempted murder), child protection cases, and some family violence and personal safety intervention orders | 477 Little Lonsdale Street, Melbourne | (03) 8638 3300 | Office 9am to 4:30pm, Monday to Friday |
| Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia, Melbourne | Family law: divorce, separation, children and property. Also general federal law, including migration | Owen Dixon Commonwealth Law Courts Building, 305 William Street, Melbourne (above Flagstaff station) | 1300 352 000 (the same number takes urgent after-hours applications) | Family law counter 8:45am to 4:30pm, phones 8:30am to 5pm; general federal law counter 9am to 4:30pm |
| Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia, Dandenong | Family law for Melbourne's south-east | 53-55 Robinson Street, Dandenong. Refurbishment limits ground-floor access until the end of the year; filing is at Level 1 reception | 1300 352 000 | Counter 8:45am to 4:30pm; phones 8:30am to 5pm |
| Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) | Legal disputes and cases across Victoria; a tribunal, less formal than a court | 308 La Trobe Street, Melbourne | 1300 018 228 (calls 9am to 4:30pm) | 8:30am to 4:30pm, Monday to Friday; counter from 9am |
| Suburban Magistrates' Courts | Criminal and traffic charges, intervention orders and civil claims for people charged or living nearby | Broadmeadows, corner of Pearcedale Parade and Dimboola Road, (03) 9087 5734; Dandenong, 35 Pultney Street, (03) 7003 4119; Frankston, Fletcher Road, (03) 9087 6112; Heidelberg, Jika Street, (03) 9087 6115; Moorabbin Justice Centre, 1140 Nepean Highway, Highett, (03) 9063 0113; Ringwood, 39 Ringwood Street, (03) 9087 5720; Sunshine, 10 Foundry Road, (03) 9087 5726; Neighbourhood Justice Centre, 241 Wellington Street, Collingwood, (03) 9087 5739; Dromana, Codrington Street, (03) 9087 6110 | As listed | 9am to 4:30pm on weekdays (Neighbourhood Justice Centre 9am to 5pm; Dromana on sitting days only) |
| Wyndham Law Courts | The Magistrates' Court, Children's Court and VCAT in one building. It replaced Werribee Magistrates' Court, which closed permanently on 31 October 2025 | 17 Basalt Road, Werribee | (03) 8011 2700 (general enquiries) | Counters 9am to 4:30pm, Monday to Friday |
Victoria Legal Aid duty lawyers work at the Magistrates' Court and can give information, give legal advice, represent you in court that day, or arrange for a legal aid lawyer to run your case. The service is free, but not everyone is eligible: for an adult criminal matter, advice or representation depends on your income, and Victoria Legal Aid's guidelines generally give a first or second drink-driving charge advice, not representation. Victoria Legal Aid says it is best to speak to it before you go to court, on 1300 792 387; if your court date is 14 days or more away, you can ask for help before court. On the day, ask the court staff whether a lawyer is on duty, and arrive when the court opens. If you want a lawyer of your own before the day, request a $295 consultation or call 1800 577 015.
Appearing at Melbourne Magistrates' Court? Our partner service AllCourts has a practical guide to Melbourne Magistrates' Court — address, daily court lists, and what to expect on the day.
Free and low-cost legal help in Melbourne: who answers, and when
Numbers and hours checked against each service's own website on 22 October 2026. Most of these services help people who meet a means test or fall into a particular group, and they run in business hours. For general legal information at any hour, our free line is 1800 577 015.
| Service | Who it helps | Contact | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Victoria Legal Aid, Legal Help | Free legal information and help, and the way in to a grant of legal aid | 1300 792 387 | 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday |
| Victoria Legal Aid duty lawyers | People with a case at the Magistrates' Court that day: adult criminal, serious traffic, and family violence and intervention order matters. Free, but not everyone is eligible | At court; ring 1300 792 387 first | Court sitting days; arrive when the court opens |
| Victoria Legal Aid at the family law courts | People without a lawyer at the Melbourne and Dandenong family law registries | Level 2, near Courtroom 2C, 305 William Street, Melbourne | 9am to 1pm, Monday to Friday |
| Youthlaw | Young people in Victoria aged under 25 | (03) 9113 9500; RMIT Building 97, Level 2, 106-108 Victoria Street, Carlton | 9am to 4:30pm, Monday to Friday |
| Women's Legal Service Victoria | Women, including cis and trans women, and non-binary people | 1800 133 302 | No after-hours or weekend service. It says it contacts you within 2 weeks of applying; with a court date in the next 2 weeks, call Victoria Legal Aid |
| Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service | Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people | 1800 064 865 | Office hours not published on the pages read; its custody notification service, for people in police custody, runs 24 hours a day |
| Law Institute of Victoria, Find Your Lawyer Referral Service | Anyone looking for a private lawyer: up to three referrals to lawyers who offer a free first meeting of up to 30 minutes, in which no legal advice is given | (03) 9607 9550 | 9am to 12:30pm and 1:30pm to 4pm on business days |
| Community legal centres | Free help from community legal centres across Victoria, each with its own area and areas of law | Find your nearest through the Federation of Community Legal Centres Victoria's website | Varies by centre |
| Family violence lines | Family violence support and referral | Safe Steps 1800 015 188; 1800RESPECT 1800 737 732; Men's Referral Service 1300 766 491 | All 24 hours, every day |
If you are not eligible for free help, or you need an answer tonight, call 1800 577 015 for free legal information at any hour, or request a $295 consultation with a lawyer.
What a lawyer costs in Melbourne
Most Melbourne firms charge by the hour or by fixed fee. Of the firms that publish their prices, read on their own websites on 22 October 2026: a family law firm says its hourly rates range between $350 and $500, that non-contentious matters may start from $5,000, and that contested parenting and property cases can cost $20,000 to $30,000 or more; a criminal firm's price list, last updated in August 2023, gives a fixed fee of $1,800 including GST for a guilty plea at a Melbourne Magistrates' Court and hourly rates from $330 for an entry-level lawyer to up to $880 for a senior lawyer; and another criminal firm's 2026 guide says a standard guilty plea often falls within $2,200 to $3,750. A Victoria Legal Aid duty lawyer may be able to help at the Magistrates' Court on the day, if you are eligible. Our 60-minute consultation with a lawyer who practises in Victoria is a fixed $295, by phone, video or in person. If you decide to go further, the lawyer sets out the cost of any further work before you commit.
Why Go To Court Lawyers for Melbourne?
Go To Court Lawyers does not have a Melbourne office. Consultations are by phone or video, or in person where the lawyer you are matched with offers it, and the lawyers in our network who practise in Victoria appear in Melbourne's courts in person. For many people that is quicker than finding a firm, because you can make the request at any hour, including weekends, and you know the price before you start: $295 for 60 minutes. The service has run since 2010 and our reviews are published on ProductReview and Trustpilot.Common Legal Situations in Melbourne
Based on our own records for the twelve months to October 2026, the matters people in Victoria most often come to us about are family law (separation, children and property), criminal charges, civil disputes such as debts and contracts, traffic offences, family violence and intervention orders, property, employment, wills and estates, compensation, and drink driving. Each practice area above has its own Melbourne page.Fast Lawyer Matching in Melbourne
When you request a consultation, lawyers in our network who practise in your area of law and location are notified, and the first to accept your request contacts you to arrange the time. If nobody accepts it, our team follows up personally. Requests are taken at any hour; appointment times depend on which lawyers are available, and urgent matters are given priority.Frequently Asked Questions — Melbourne Lawyers
How quickly can I speak to a lawyer in Melbourne?
How much does a lawyer cost in Melbourne?
Can I get free legal help in Melbourne?
Which Melbourne court will my matter be in?
Is Werribee Magistrates' Court still open?
Where is the Children's Court in Melbourne?
Do your lawyers appear at the Melbourne Magistrates' Court?
Need a Lawyer in Melbourne?
Call our information service any time. Jen is an AI assistant, not a lawyer. If you need advice about your circumstances, request a $295 consultation with a suitable qualified lawyer; availability depends on your matter, location and requested time.